Wavering Between Forgotten Lines
by moonhaku
Summary: Everything was fine, and then Sasuke had to come and mess it all up. Again. SasuHina
1. Approaching the Enemy

_**Wavering Between Forgotten Lines**_

**Disclaimer: Naruto © Masashi Kishimoto**

**This fanfiction is made possible by a request from HinataLoveNaruto **

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—**Approaching the Enemy**

Sasuke Uchiha stood outside the once-welcoming gates of Konoha. Night was falling and the gates were beginning to shut. He was absolutely still, searching for any movement of ANBU or patrollers that could find him. He flicked off a bug irritably. Why was he even here at this damned village again?

_"Our last objective is the Kyuubi, the most dangerous and powerful bijuu of all." Pein's voice was chilling as he stared at the holographic images of the remaining Akatsuki members. "Originally, it was assigned to Itachi Uchiha, but since he has become…disposed of, the mission will transfer to his killer and closest relative. Sasuke Uchiha."_

"_You, Sasuke Uchiha, will take the mission of capturing and retrieving the Kyuubi container and bring it to us. You have less than three months to complete this task." Pein's eyes flickered over to Kisame, "For this assignment, you will have no partner, though Kisame will be partnered with you after this mission is complete. Do not kill the Kyuubi container, merely incapacitate him."_

"_After all, you were Itachi Uchiha's brother. Whatever he could accomplish, you will." Now the leader's ghostly eyes was focused on the only real body in the vast cavern. Red eyes glinted from the faint light of the holograms. _

_"Understood." Sasuke nodded. This was one step closer to taking his revenge on Konoha for destroying his clan and condemning his aniki to a traitorous future. It would only cost the life of his best friend and sworn enemy. _

_Not too much to consider after all he's been through._

"_Remember, Sasuke Uchiha, three months. Do not fail. Dismissed." _

_Sasuke swept his eyes over the remaining five Akatsuki members uncertainly. Then he turned and left. As soon as he turned the corner, he heard Kisame's gravelly voice._

_"Ya think that the Uchiha brat can really do it? You weren't even this sure about Itachi."_

"_Quiet, Kisame. I'm sure Sasuke Uchiha will perform wonderfully." Pein replied icily, in a way that threatened to bring shivers down everyone's spine. "He has two key advantages. First, the jinchuuriki trusts him. Second, have you not noticed how much his village prizes him? He will be the first step in their destruction."_

"_Fine." Kisame replied curtly. "I still don't want to be partnered with him."_

"_You will not question my judgement, Kisame." _

_Sasuke took a breath and walked out of the main cavern. He didn't want to hear any more. _

Oh, right. That was why he was here.

The branch underneath him broke suddenly. He yelped and jumped to a higher one. It was too late. The rustling of patrollers and guards came to his ear. Now that Konoha knew of Akatsuki's impending plans, they placed ANBU black-ops on the borders as well. Sasuke didn't want to face those.

"Dear lord, it's—it's Sasuke Uchiha!" Too late.

They all jumped on him and immediately latched a chakra cuff on both of his wrists. Suddenly, Sasuke felt light-headed and he spiraled down onto the ground. Those damned cuffs had sucked his chakra immediately. He was virtually helpless.

"Well, well, who have we got here? Sasuke Uchiha, finally come home." A voice dripping with sarcasm came from above him. A black combat boot nudged his arm. "I'm going to have to turn you over for interrogation, I'm afraid."

He gritted his teeth. In that instant, he decided that he hated special jounin Anko Mitarashi. But that annoyance couldn't compare with the rage that he felt when the next person arrived.

"Sasuke! You're back! Hey, why are you on the ground, dattebayo?" Oh joy, it was the ever-energetic Naruto Uzumaki. Or maybe 'dumbass' would be a more correct description.

"Those are chakra cuffs, Naruto! Don't be an idiot." Sasuke had to resist the urge to roll his eyes when another person appeared beside him. He recognized that rough, feminine-edged voice—Sakura Haruno. They might as well send the whole team 7 over since the elusive Sasuke Uchiha had finally returned.

"I'm surprised it was so easy." _Damn it all._ Sasuke gritted his teeth to keep the growl from coming out. It was his old annoying sensei, Kakashi Hatake. "Really, didn't it seem so?"

"Why isn't he getting up?"

"He has no chakra left!"

"Quiet. Under the Hokage's orders, we must take him for interrogation to find his true intentions." Anko's sharp voice pierced through the rambling of the former team 7.

"True intentions? Maybe Sasuke-teme just wanted to come back with us! You don't have to—" Naruto protested loudly and made a move to release the cuffs. Anko slapped at his hand, making him flinch involuntarily.

"Don't forget boy, our sources confirmed that Sasuke was in unusual contact with the Akatsuki after he killed Itachi Uchiha."

"Maybe one of your sources lied! Or maybe it was just a misunderstanding—I mean, maybe the Akatsuki tricked him or—"

"Either way," Anko cut him off crisply, "He is a missing nin, and standard procedures regulate that we must cuff him and present him to the Hokage. Though in this case, I don't think treating him a bit roughly will hurt him at all."

"Naruto, don't worry, I'm sure they won't really do anything to hurt him." Sakura put a comforting hand on his shoulder. "Besides, I'm sure that that we can stop them if it comes down to it, right?"

"Humph." Naruto shook off the hand and pouted. Sasuke closed his eyes and allowed the two ANBU next to him jostle him and carry him through the gate. Throughout their noticeable procession into the village, Sasuke could feel countless pairs of eyes poring into him. People who recognized him gaped and the ones who didn't stared still—it wasn't everyday you see a team of elite ninja carrying what seemed to be a dangerous fugitive.

What bothered him the most were two distinct pairs of eyes. One pair of clear blue of the other bright green. Former teammates Naruto Uzumaki and Sakura Haruno. He knew that Naruto was beside himself with joy that Sasuke had returned and that the blond dobe 'knew' without a doubt that Sasuke would fit right back in.

On the other hand, Sakura's gaze had changed since the last time Sasuke had seen her in the remains of Orochimaru's destroyed lair. In it was confusion, surprise, happiness…and curiosity. Maybe it bothered Sasuke a tiny bit that she wasn't in love with him anymore. But probably not.

Kakashi was the same old jounin that trained Sasuke in his preteen years. Sure, he was a bit older, and there was a number of new scars on his body, but all in all, Kakashi was still the one unchanging factor as he walked alongside Naruto holding a green book. The whole scene of the streets and being back—well, sort of—with Team 7 brought back a strong sense of nostalgia and it shook his resolve.

How could he destroy this place, where he grew up and the only place that had—still has people who care about him? Everywhere, he could see remnants of memories when times were peaceful and he was still so innocent. Well maybe not really innocent—I mean, you can't still be pure after seeing your whole family being slaughtered. But at least at that time, he knew nothing about the Akatsuki or the truth about Itachi Uchiha.

Ah, the truth about Itachi Uchiha.

That was the whole reason he was here, wasn't it?

_Once again you give me a reason for living, aniki_, he mused.

"Well well, to what do we owe the honor of this visit, Uchiha?" A tough, feminine voice cut through his thoughts. He raised his head and glared at the deceiving appearance of the Hokage. She twirled a white sake bottle on her index finger as she approached him.

"Usually, missing-nins of your degree are executed or sentenced to life in prison with parole. But given your…condition, I am willing to make an exception. What do you say, Uchiha?"

"But he is a highly dangerous criminal Lady—" Anko protested loudly before Sasuke could open his mouth.

"Don't you think I am very clear on that fact? But, he is a very precious commodity, as you have seen." Tsunade thundered and then stuck her face right in front of Sasuke's. "Do you have any idea how many problems you have caused for this village, Uchiha? To prevent Naruto from looking for you, I've almost had to tie him down with ropes! Because of your betrayal, we almost lost a whole squad searching for you! There are not enough words to describe the heartache that you inflicted on this village! Do you hear me?"

"I'm not even sure if I should kill you myself or torture you until you understand." She flicked eyes over to Sasuke's former teammates.

"But for the sake of your former friends, I will not punish you so severely. Instead, you will be under house arrest for a year and will only be allowed to practice taijustu for limited times each day. Only your former team and other authorized personnel are allowed to approach you within this year. Afterward, on the basis of good behavior, you will be on parole for six months. If you stay out of trouble and I receive good reports of you, hence afterward, you will go free."

"However, you will _not_ be permitted to complete missions until the time I or Kakashi deems appropriate. Any questions?"

Sasuke blinked and resumed glaring at the scowling Hokage. She held his gaze for a few seconds and then sighed and rubbed her head. She looked directly past Sasuke and said, "Although, I think _you_ do have a few questions, Naruto."

"Yeah, why does Sasuke have to stay under house arrest for so frickin long? By the time he gets out, he'll be an oji-san! Can't you just trust him again?"

"Naruto, it doesn't work that way," Sakura pinched his arm. "Sasuke has to re-earn their trust. He's not exactly familiar to them like, like he was with us."

"Still, I don't think it's fair. And that last part about missions, what if you never decide he can become a ninja again? Then I'll never be a able to spar with him or go on a mission with him ever again!" Naruto still persisted. Sasuke almost rolled his eyes.

But this condition was gnawing at him from the inside. He had no problem with the imprisonment, but if he was never permitted to use ninjustu again, there would be a problem with completing Pein's plan. He also knew that Pein wanted the plan to take no more than a few months, and there was no way for Sasuke to wait a whole year plus six months of parole until he could deliver the Kyuubi to him.

Though Sasuke didn't want to admit it, by then, Naruto could very well have become the Rokudaime.

"First though, I want Sasuke to divulge everything that he's learned about the Akatsuki and anything about Itachi Uchiha. Before we let him leave, we need to know why he was near the village in the first place." The Hokage sat in her chair and folded her hands, staring at Sasuke. "Begin."

"There's nothing to say." He muttered under his breath. Her expression darkened and Sasuke's unconsciously tensed.

"Are you sure about that?" She almost growled through her gritted teeth.

"I left the village out of my own will. I killed Itachi Uchiha for murdering my family. End of story." He responded darkly and simply. She held his gaze for another second and sighed.

"If he doesn't want to say anything, then we can't make him." _Because Naruto, Sakura and Kakashi are here_, she added silently. She, for one, had no objection to using various torture methods to make him talk. That was what any sensible Hokage would do if she had a young and dangerous criminal on her hands.

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**Author's Note: **Hello my beloved readers! I have come back after one month of hiding out! I will update my other stories soon enough, but I wanted to get this out before **HinataLoveNaruto** starts to complain. So…uh…sorry for my inactivity and um, review! You can tell me how you feel about my prolonged absence(s) on my poll! Hehe...(I feel like I'm inviting flames).

moonhaku


	2. Softly

_**Wavering Between Forgotten Lines**_

**Naruto © Masashi Kishimoto**

**This fanfiction was made possible by a request from ****HinataLoveNaruto

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—**Softly**

"Hey teme, we're here to visit you dattebayo!!!" Naruto shouted as soon as he flung open the door to the Uchiha manor. "And we also brought some movies and ramen if we get bored!"

"Don't you mean if _you_ get bored? Naruto, you know that none of us like ramen except for you," Sakura scoffed as she walked in behind him.

"Hinata does! She loves ramen!" Naruto turned to the girl following delicately behind Sakura. "Right Hina?"

Said girl ducked her head and mumbled an unintelligible reply. Sakura rolled her eyes and smacked Naruto's head sideways. "Naruto, she only pretends to like it because you take her out to Ichiraku's all the time! Kami, I feel sorry for the poor girl sometimes – putting up with a maniac like you!"

"Oh yeah, where do you and _Lee_ go all the time? Special youthful training with Gai-sensei?" He cackled as Sakura's face turned bright red. At this time, they both remembered where they were and whom they were here to visit. It occurred to them at that second, that Sasuke was no where to be seen. Usually, when they had visited Sasuke's manor before his defection, Sasuke had greeted them in the living room.

"Sasuke?" Sakura whispered, almost fearful that something dreadful had taken place. She had been too busy bantering with Naruto that she hadn't bothered to notice if there were still ANBU guards at the door. Nobody knew what exactly what sort of tactics that Sasuke had gained while he was 'missing', and if she judged from the vague reports that had come in once in a while, he was absolutely terrifying. Naruto, on the other hand, skipped the thorough thinking process that Sakura was in the middle of, and yelled, "SASUKE-TEME! WAKEY WAKEY!!!"

The silence was undeniably rigid, until an unnatural cold settled onto the room. Unconsciously, the three ninja tensed. A lean black-haired figure stood at the top of the stairway.

"Hey Sasuke, is that you?" Sakura called out.

"Hn," he turned his piercing red eyes on the unwelcome guests, "What the hell are you doing here?"

"What were you doing? We thought you died or something." Naruto smiled eagerly and started to babble without any provocation or response. "Oh yeah, Sasuke, you haven't met Hinata yet. She's a Hyuga; isn't that sort of like an Uchiha?; anyway, she was in the Chunin Exam – remember that? - but lost to her cousin (whom I beat the hell out of). She's my girlfriend now. Isn't she pretty?"

_Idiot. Just like usual, it's like time stopped in Konoha. _Sasuke sighed inaudibly and descended the stairs. "I was sleeping," he replied pointedly to Naruto's question. Let him chew on that for a while. He passed his red eyes over the trembling figure behind Naruto and Sakura. Naruto was right – she was a Hyuga, though that was nothing like an Uchiha, but he didn't ever remember seeing her anywhere. Her eyes, a blank white, were averted from his gaze, staring at the knotholes in the ground. _Stupid girl. I almost feel sorry for her, being stuck with an idiot like Uzumaki. She's probably just as idiotic anyway…_

"- so cool! I've never seen this before! Is this an heirloom or something? It's really light—" Sasuke jerked his head back to the living room, where Naruto was roughly taking down the obsidian sword that hung there. Biting back a yelp, he jumped over the stairs, over the futon and grabbed the scabbard and blade out of Naruto's hands. All in a flash. By the time the rest of them had reacted, Sasuke was placing the sword on its place in the wall.

"Don't you dare touch that again." Glaring at the stunned blond, Sasuke stalked out of the room.

"Naruto, I told you not to touch it…" A soft, trembling voice. Gentle, but reprimanding.

Alien.

"Listen to your girlfriend for once, Naruto. You're _such_ an idiot." Now that was a familiar voice, laced with sarcasm and impatience at the same time. "Although it is a beautiful sword…"

Out of the corner of his eye, Sasuke saw Sakura reach tentatively to stroke the hilt of the sword. Deciding that it was too troublesome to stop her, he continued walking up the stairs, his mind intent on studying the ancient ninjustu scrolls in the massive Uchiha library. He hadn't felt in the mood to practice taijustu under the surveillance of ANBU guards, and it occurred to him very suddenly that lying around like this might just turn him into a pot-bellied scholar. Funny, really.

While he was silently chuckling over his private joke, Naruto was busy boiling water for his instant ramen. Apparently, he had never forgotten where the kitchen was, even after all those years. It was pitiful.

"Hey Hinata, come help me with this…" As Sasuke pushed open the double doors, Naruto's voice faded out and various clangs came from the kitchen downstairs. Sakura's slightly muffled voice broke through the scuffle and immediately started to dirty the air with her insults. Naruto's voice joined in, and after a while, Sasuke heard nothing. Strange that he never heard that soft voice of that Hyuga girl again. _She seemed quiet and weak anyway. _Sasuke sat down on the chair and took up the scroll again, blowing away the dust, _losing in the second round of the Chunin Exams. Pathetic. What else did I expect from Naruto's girlfriend?_

He noticed that the scroll was exploring the possibilities of a Sharingan/Byakugan hybrid and the Hyuga girl's pale eyes came into mind again. The scroll mentioned the rumors that Sharingan had descended from the Byakugan, perhaps it was a lower form, because it could not see chakra points, instead, it gave the use perfect clarity and allowed for breakneck speed. Sasuke almost snorted at the possibility that the Sharingan could be inferior to any type of dojustu. He rolled up the scroll, having lost interest in it and placed it back into the shelves. To think he had something in _common _with the soft, weak girl! Impossible.

He sifted through the aging scrolls again, ignoring the dull pain that attempted to drown him.

* * *

Sakura sighed and placed the tip on the table before walking out of the restaurant. The visit to Sasuke's house had been a total and complete failure. Tsunade had asked her to coax more information out of Sasuke whenever possible, so Sakura had suggested to Naruto that they should visit Sasuke. It wasn't that she didn't want to see Sasuke…it was just the feeling of apprehension and fear that stirred in her stomach when thinking off those crimson eyes. But so far, she had gathered nothing. After the small episode with the sword the day before, Sakura had only confirmed what she knew.

Sasuke had always been the fastest of the three of them, and he still was.

It discouraged Sakura that no matter how much she trained, she knew that she was incomparable to Sasuke, or Naruto. She would 'put up a fight' when faced with an enemy, but Naruto would wreak havoc and flashily destroy them in his own clumsy way. Sasuke was the opposite, graceful and lithe while he darted around and picked off his enemies. The last one was an assumption, of course.

"Sakura-chan! What are you doing here? I do not recall that you come here often!" Lee was hanging upside-down from a tall oak tree in the distance. Ah, amiable, lovable Lee. He had annoyed Sakura so much for the last few years that she finally agreed to go out with him on a few dates – only for trial purposes. Somehow, he also sensed that her feelings were still reserved for…well…someone else.

She smiled and waved back, and then continued on her way back to her apartment. She worked double-shifts at the hospital, as the supervisor when Tsunade or Shizune weren't around. It provided a solid, reliable income, but lacked the pump of adrenaline and excitement that came with a good A-rank mission. Tsunade had made it ever more clear that Sakura should stick around, especially because she believed Sakura was one the only people capable of keeping Sasuke from running away.

It wasn't like she had done a good job the first time around.

"Sakura-chan," a pair of soft tapping footsteps fell on the concrete sidewalk as Hinata descended from above her. "Hello."

"Hi, Hinata." Sakura smiled ruefully. When had Hinata arrived? Her senses really were dulling. But then again, Hinata always did have a particularly unnoticeable way of coming and going.

"M-may I ask you something?" Smiling shyly, Hinata slowed down to match Sakura's pace.

"Yeah, of course!" She couldn't imagine why Hinata insisted on asking permission before doing anything.

"Um…you think, perhaps, I mean…we could, um, go back to U-uchiha-san's house again, sometime?" Her voice trembled slightly when she mentioned Sakura's former teammate.

A request. A strange one at that. Sakura nodded, wondering why Hinata was so eager to go back. Hadn't those blazing Sharingan eyes frightened her in any way? Even Sakura, who was fully prepared to see them, was taken aback by the distaste in his pupils.

"Of course, I was meaning to go back again soon anyway." Not really, she admitted to herself, but it wouldn't hurt. "Why?"

As soon as the words came out of her mouth, she felt horrible. It already took enough courage for Hinata to make this simple request and now Sakura was demanding more out of her. Monster.

"I just…the sword…it looked familiar…" Hinata sounded pained and Sakura felt it pierce her heart sharply. "He…he looked like…he was in pain…" _God…_Sakura stifled a surprised gasp.

No one this loving should ever be hurt. It would be unforgivable.

Hinata was also a medic, something that everyone had felt unsuitable for her until they saw the compassion and love in her eyes as she treated her patients. It was what made her special, made her stand out to Naruto, who craved pure and untainted love. In a way, Hinata was very motherly.

"I…I suppose so. We'll go and see him again next week. Is that alright?" Sakura formed the words despite her muddled thoughts. "Don't worry about him, Hinata. He'll be fine. He always is."

The girl beside her was eerily silent.

"Really, Hinata. He's always been quiet, like he's in pain or something. Sort of like you." When she stiffened, Sakura knew that she had gone too far. In a second, Sakura was alone on the street. She suddenly realized the transparent honesty of her words. How had she never noticed? Hinata and Sasuke were so similar, so alike, and yet so impeccably different.

Sakura entered her apartment with a heavy heart.

* * *

By morning, his foul mood had dissipated, leaving the monotonous feeling that stuck around stubbornly. Sasuke stretched and rose from the chair that he had fallen asleep on for the third day in a row. Not surprisingly, the old dusty scrolls on the shelves contained elaborate seals and perplexed Sasuke when he tried to undo them.

However, he had managed to crack a couple of the more intricate ones, and was now digesting the newfound knowledge – not for Pein or anyone else for that matter, but to feed his own curiosity. When he had been obsessed with murdering Itachi, Sasuke had had no time to slowly go through the library and before that, he was too young. Now that he was under house arrest and too uncomfortable to practice taijustu, with the ANBU guards and all, he finally had time to devote to unlocking the various secrets lying around the manor.

Despite his lack of interest in normal research and scientific papers, the theories revolving around the Sharingan and various legends and tailed-demons were fascinating. He loved to think that the Sharingan was as important as he believed it was.

He heard a murmur of words at the entrance to the manor and looked out the enormous glass windows onto the ground below. A pink head and a purple head. Looked rather like cotton candy. Sasuke sniffed with distaste. Sakura and the Hyuga here for yet _another_ visit. At least Naruto wasn't leading the way in this time. But having the pink haired hag over was worse. Was it just his imagination that the purple head turned up for a second? She couldn't be that sensitive.

"Sasuke…where are you? We've come to visit." Said 'hag' called out from the entrance. "Hinata's with me, she was a bit worried about you."

Sasuke almost laughed at the thought. _Worry about yourself, Hyuga_ , he thought as he settled down into his chair again. _I don't need to be taken care of by the likes of you._

"Sasuke? Where are you? Stop masking your chakra signature!" _Oh my, the hag is get angry. _Sasuke nonchalantly flipped the thin pages of the book and smirked, _a she-demon would be the best description. _

"Oh all right." A pause. "I wonder where he keeps the vases?" Sasuke wondered what had happened to divert Sakura's attention. Perhaps it was the Hyuga, after all, she had the quiet voice that didn't travel through the thin wooden walls as easily. He didn't bother thinking about his unwelcome visitors until he heard a few clinks and a yelp. _What did she break this time? If it is that sword…I swear…_

Sasuke walked down the stairs swiftly, only to be surprised to see Hinata walking softly around the room, as if inspecting an old, familiar place. She walked to the broken family portrait barely hanging on the walls. Her fingertips traced the outlines of the dark and gloomy family, leaving a clean trail in the aged brown dust.

"Why are you here." Sasuke directed his cold voice toward the strange Hyuga girl. She flinched and turned around, her thin shoulders hunched and her eyes averted.

"I-I don't want to d-disturb you—" She bit her full lower lip hesitantly, choking out the words. Sasuke swore that he could _hear_ the heartbeats in her chest, as loud and pounding as they were.

"Then don't come here. Leave." It amused him to see her so scared. He glanced at the leave headband hanging around her neck like an ornament. She _was_ a ninja, right?

"B-but I-I wa-was worried-d…" Were her eyes always such a blank, white color? Sasuke pushed further, careful not to show how much this amused her. He flashed he eyes at her and briefly switched them to Sharingan. She shuddered.

"Save it. You're better off worrying about your pitiful boyfriend, Hyuga." At this, her eyes tightened and her tiny fists balled up. _Ah, _he thought, _Uzumaki makes her strong. She's just like a kitten trying to be a tiger._

"Naruto-kun is not pitiful. He tries harder than anyone else to achieve his goals, and even if he doesn't always succeed, it doesn't mean a thing. He's the farthest thing away from pitiful that I've ever seen. Unlike you. Hiding from and hurting your friends, though they've done nothing wrong!" Her voice pitched and escalated toward the end. Sasuke raised an eyebrow, boiling slowly with rage. She had dared call him _pitiful_.

"You have no idea who you're talking to, girl. My business is none of your concern," Sasuke replied thickly, a sharp pain throbbing in his chest. He stalked up the stairs again, unaware of the shocked look on the Hyuga standing beneath him. "Leave."

Then he entered the library with the full intention of never coming out again.

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**Author's Note: **Apologies for the 2-month long wait! Winter break is in 2 weeks, and I finally have some time to sort out the clutter that is my life. Thank you for your unending support, my dear readers! I really hope to develop this story slowly, so it may lack the spontaneous love that seems to appear in my other stories (without my noticing). I feel so guilty that I have been so inactive.

Please read + review!!

-moonhaku

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	3. Forth

**Wavering Between Forgotten LinesNaruto © Masashi Kishimoto**

**This fanfiction is made possible by a request from ****HinataLoveNaruto

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—**Forth**

"Hinata, Naruto and I are going to visit Sasuke again. Do you want to come?"

"No." The response, so clipped and short, surprised Sakura. She stared at the girl besides her, wanting to know the reason behind the coldness. "I-I have some things to…um…do."

Sakura frowned. Hinata was not a good liar, and neither should she ever become one. But she noticed the fear on her face, and nodded reluctantly. "Oh well, I guess it can't be helped. You'll come next time right?"

When there was no response, Sakura sighed and again wondered what happened the last time they visited. She could still remember the pale, frightened look on Hinata's face as she stumbled out of the Uchiha manor. As much as Sakura wanted to know what happened, she couldn't bear to ask Hinata. There was no way that she would tell her anyway.

_Oh well…_"I guess I'll be going now. We can hang out later." She watched Hinata for a second, hoping for a response. There wasn't.

* * *

This time, Sasuke didn't even bother to open the door, nor did Naruto and Sakura give him a chance to. They waltzed in, smiling blissfully and opening each door they saw, looking for their elusive friend.

Actually, Sasuke was in the backyard, finally practicing his taijutsu. He decided that his arms might as well fall off if he didn't practice some basics once in a while – even if the creepy ANBU guards were always watching him. He knew they reported his every movement to the blonde female. He knew that the ANBU watching him were also trained specialists and analyzed every single one of his moves. Somehow, it didn't seem to matter anymore. This quiet life suited him – even if he woke up screaming everyday with the taste of blood in his mouth. Pein could wait. He had a lifetime of solitude to catch up on.

Naruto noticed him first – and promptly jumped down from the second floor to join him. Sakura's eager smile turned to melancholy when Sasuke straightened up and walked back into the mansion as soon as Naruto alighted. Then the unpredictable – Naruto exploded. Maybe it was the pressure, or maybe the years of hurt and betrayal had finally caught up. He lunged at Sasuke's back before Sakura could react.

Taken by surprise, Sasuke barely knocked him out of the way and immediately activated his Sharingan, spinning out of the way of the successive lunges. The guards were still standing calmly on the sides, as if this was all part of a plan. His eyes narrowed as he surveyed their apparent inactivity – he should've _known_. Konoha had changed since he had last been there.

Naruto swiped at him again, catching Sasuke's attention as he barely ducked out of the way. Sensing chakra emanating from the man's body, Sasuke knew that this was beyond the scope of a normal spar. The stupid, unpredictable bastard of a ninja was being serious – serious about hurting Sasuke. Avoiding the Hokage's enraged apprentice wasn't difficult; Sasuke could see his clear blue eyes, clouded with fury – and hurt. He'd been wrong. Konoha's time had never stopped. It had gone on without him, leaving a path of destruction in its wake. Something strange throbbed in his chest though every single one of Naruto's lunges missed its mark.

"Why did you leave?" Naruto's words were barely intelligible from the roars of fury, "Why did you have to leave me alone here?"

There was no reply from his opponent, who did nothing except spin out of the way, like a butterfly out from the claws of a clumsy tiger. That was, until Naruto suddenly disappeared from view and landed a crushing blow on Sasuke's back. Although his speed had let him avoid most of the injury, Sasuke could feel his dislocated arm throbbing when he popped it back into place. However, that was all the distraction Naruto needed. He ran at Sasuke again, punching his face, drawing blood until Sasuke spun out of the way again.

The battle would have been over if there hadn't been a chakra reducer fastened to Sasuke's leg. With no ninjutsu or genjutsu to protect himself, Sasuke could only rely on taijutsu – which was clearly insufficient. He braced himself for another hit when the ANBU finally restrained Naruto, calming him down. The blond glared at the Avenger, snarling, "You thought we all stayed the same, didn't you, teme? You thought this village could go on without you. You thought _I _could go on. You thought _Sakura _could survive without you, eh, teme?"

Sasuke didn't even blink, he merely wiped away the trickle of blood, staining his sleeve red. As he turned and walked back toward the mansion, angry tears ran down Naruto's face, "How could you expect us to live without you?"

Sasuke stood silently in the doorway, and without turning, said, "I didn't." Then, closing the door behind him, he went inside without turning back.

Sakura quickly wiped at the tears gathering in her eyes. She'd known this was a bad idea – and Naruto was hurt – again. Without a thought, she jumped through the window and landed roughly on the ground before running to her broken teammate, hugging him until the old tears dried up again. Everything had failed. Pretending everything was alright – that everything hadn't been shattered when Sasuke left, it had only brought more pain.

She didn't notice the lingering shadow at the window above them, the bright red eyes cracking just like the hearts below them.

* * *

"Sakura-san? Sakura-san?"

She jumped when she heard a soft voice beside her and a hand gently shake her shoulder.

"A-are you alright, Sakura-san?" Hinata's blank white eyes were concerned as she sat down next to the pink haired medic. "D-did something happen at Uchiha-san's place? Naruto's been acting strange too ever since he got back."

"It's just…" Sakura sighed, "We failed. We agreed to treat Sasuke like nothing ever happened, you know? Like he never left, like nothing ever went wrong. But…but…" Her voice broke as she reflected on the painful years after Sasuke's departure.

"It was too hard," the woman beside her stated matter-of-factly. "We all changed. Something broke when he left. It'll never be the same." Hinata put a hand over Sakura's trembling ones, "Is that what you wanted to say?"

"Oh Hinata-chan," she whispered softly. "How do you understand so perfectly?"

"Because" – _it seems we're not so different, Sasuke and I – _"I-I just guessed," Hinata smiled gently and looked down, masking the trembling features of her own face. "I seem to be good at these sort of things" _– you know, the useless kind. _

"I just – I just don't know how to face him anymore, Hinata. I mean, after Naruto attacked him and he said that Sasuke destroyed the village and then Sasuke basically said he didn't care – I don't think we can ever go back," Sakura felt her heart grow heavy as she realized that. She whispered again, just to herself. "I don't think we can ever go back."

"Then don't." The Hyuga clenched her friend's trembling hands, "I'm sure you'll be able to go back. After all, you've always loved him – that'll get through some day." Somewhere, a nurse called for her. She looked around, and with one reassuring squeeze, Hinata left quickly toward the voice. Sakura looked at her empty hands and bit back tears. _Oh, I'm so sorry Hinata…I can't tell you – I don't think I _do _love him anymore. I don't think I ever have, really.

* * *

_

The dreams changed.

Ever since Naruto's outbreak during his taijutsu practice, the dreams had changed. Splitting hearts, the bloody strands string broken lives together in a pool of pure white. Even while he slept he couldn't forget the burning feeling in his back, the accusation in those fractured blue eyes at what he had said.

Those words were completely true. He _hadn't_ expected them to live after he left. He had expected them to find him and beat him back to his sense. He had expected them to tell him the truth about Itachi. He had expected them to save him from the bleak future destiny had intended him to endure. They were the ones who had failed. Not he.

_Of course _he didn't just expect them to live. He had expected them to do so much more. But there was no way in hell he would ever admit it – nothing would be accomplished by doing so. Not now, not ever. Naruto would be hurt all over again – and there would be nothing for Sasuke to do but carry the heavy burden all by himself, just like he always had. The road to revenge was only wide enough for one person.

He turned over in the thin sheets of his bed, breathing in the musty air. He'd been in the room for a few days now. The curtains were drawn over the windows, their thickness blocking any speckle of sunlight from filtering through. And he, he had been curled up in the bed, clutching the spear still lodged in his heart. His stomach ached from the lack of sustenance and his throat felt like sandpaper from lack of hydration. Maybe he would die, just like that, starved and dehydrated like an old hermit. A fitting end for him. It would finally be peaceful.

_Bam! _The door to his room slammed open and two women walked in. Sasuke hissed and opened his eyes – it was that bitchy Hokage, as expected, and…Hinata Hyuga? He hadn't expected to see her again, cold little girl.

"Trying to starve yourself to death Uchiha?" Tsunade's sarcastic voice boomed in his room, and he could smell the stink of sake in her breath as she spoke. "Unfortunately, that won't happen on my watch. Hitch your miserable ass up and go eat something. Death is too good for you, damned Uchiha."

He just shifted slightly and looked away. It wasn't like she could force him into drinking and eating.

"Hokage-sama, I-I think w-we should be a bit nicer," a small voice quite different from the Hokage's spoke up, "He technically _is _a patient right now…besides…he looks miserable."

Although she had clearly not intended for him to hear the last part, it reached his ears, resounding in his mind. _He looks miserable. _He must look truly disgusting and pitiable if she, idiot girlfriend of Naruto, wanted to be sympathetic. _She must be here because of Naruto,_ Sasuke thought. _It's not like anything happened anyway. Naruto just let his stupid emotions get ahold of him. _

"Well, I don't have anything to do today," the blonde woman drawled, "There are other methods of getting you out of your bed. Things you'll _never _be able to forget, Uchiha." Sasuke felt a cold chill go down his spine. As much as he didn't want to admit it, the Hokage had a point. She was a medic, the best there was. It would be simple to reverse the effects of some healing ninjutsu.

Sasuke sighed and got out of bed.

"Good boy."

"Bitch."

* * *

**Author's Note: **How long has it been? Over a whole year…I tried to write, but it was pretty hard. Then I noticed my essay skills were going down the drain, and I realized that writing fanfiction was beneficial. And so I forced myself to write – and here it is. I'm not promising to update regularly, or even once in a while. I don't want to keep people waiting for the chapter that might never appear. But maybe a chapter might appear every few months and a year or two later. I hope to finished everything up before leaving for college, but who knows? Please review! :]

moonhaku


	4. The Darkest Sort of Blasphemy

_**Wavering Between Forgotten Lines**_

**Naruto © Masashi Kishimoto**

**

* * *

**

– **The Darkest Sort of Blasphemy**

The door to the old, musty Uchiha mansion creaked open and Hinata Hyuga stepped inside, tentatively, as she had done for the past few days. It wasn't her first time alone in this huge, imposing place, but she still shivered slightly upon entering it. Although the Hyuga complex was about the same size, there were more occupants there than in this ghost town.

One floor above her, Sasuke Uchiha's eyes did not even flicker when he felt another presence in his mansion. He knew who it was; the Hyuga girl to be sure. She came to his compound on a daily basis, by herself, a fact which he found quite strange. However, the girl was quiet and unassuming – a relief compared to the loud Hokage who had come the first time to "check up" on him.

Sasuke found that the Hyuga was no more verbose than himself, resulting in a tense silence between them that he was glad to get rid of every time she exited quietly.

There was a soft knock on the door before Hinata let herself in.

"Hello, Uchiha-san," she whispered almost inaudibly. Sighing when he ignored her yet again, she surveyed poorly lit room and the vast shelves that seemed to have no end.

This library was definitely on par with the one found in the Hyuga compound. There were smatterings of dust on the shelves, although some books and scrolls seemed to be wiped clean and moved. Some were still piled on the desk which Sasuke sat behind, reading intently, as if she didn't exist. She was acutely aware of the strict tension between them and wondered how the Uchiha could sit so still for such a long period of time. It was definitely not good for his body.

Blushing slightly at her own sharp intake of breath, she asked, "H-have you eaten, Uchiha-san?"

She gulped, awaiting an answer both of them knew would never come. The man before her didn't even acknowledge her presence in the room, except for a slight glance at her flushed complexion. _Stupid Hyuga, _Sasuke thought as his eyes slid down the page of the scroll, _she needs to learn how to hide her emotions better. They show through way too easily. _He also couldn't help noting that the pink blush on her skin was quite complimentary to his taste.

Noticing that she seemed to be trembling less, Sasuke smirked. He knew that caring and innocent act was just that – an act. The girl obviously had a purpose in coming here other than frightening herself and annoying him. But she was so quiet it was almost painful. The silence rammed down on his head like thunder.

From time to time, he even missed the blond dobe that used to come crashing in every day. He was really the closest thing to a brother Sasuke had ever had. Bile filled his mouth when he remembered the look of emptiness, despair, and something similar to hatred fill those cheerful, blue eyes. Clearly, anger and bitterness did not suit Naruto.

Sasuke sighed in frustration at the ache slowly gnawing at his mind. Then he realized that he couldn't remember the contents of the last scroll he had just put aside. The dreams had haunted him again last night.

"Are – are you alright?"

He jumped out of his seat, knocking his chair down when he felt a soft hand on his shoulder. He looked down and glared that the Hyuga.

"What the _hell _was that?" He snapped through gritted teeth at the quaking girl.

But if anything, he was furious with himself. How could he let such a person sneak up on him so easily? _You're getting soft, Uchiha _his ever-so-helpful brain chastised him.

"I…I…I-"she stuttered helplessly for a moment before taking a shuddering breath and stabilizing herself. "You looked like you were in pain…"

For a moment, Sasuke saw through his senseless rage and noticed the worried, albeit terrified, expression on the slight Hyuga's face. Her expression looked so sincere that for a second, Sasuke believed it. He sighed and ran a hand through his thoroughly disheveled hair. "Damn," he muttered, why did she even bother at all? There was no point, provoking him when she knew all that he wanted was to be left alone. What happened to him was none of her business.

Unconsciously furrowing his brow, he stared intently at the small girl beside him. Maybe woman would be a better term. But her shy disposition was akin to a small field mouse, therefore making her a girl no matter what gifts nature had endowed her with.

Without smiling, he replied, "These things are none of your concern." A new wave of pain caused him to grimace again. He stumbled a bit as he walked toward the door. Immediately he felt her soft presence next to him, gingerly touching his arm. He was about to snap at her again, but then decided against it. Looking down, he almost smiled at the determined and worried expression on her face. It really couldn't be that bad, having someone who cared for him.

* * *

The next day, she was there again, like always.

As Hinata pushed open the door of the library, she was surprised to find the table empty. She slowly closed the door behind her, wondering where Sasuke could be. Walking a bit further down the dark hallway, she was surprised to see him sitting on his bed, staring out at the window, which was open for the first time. The day was cloudy and the weather was just slightly chilly. She walked in softly, trying not to disturb the pensive man.

He could see her out of the corner of his eye, clearly surprised that he wasn't in the library. After a moment, he turned his head toward her, making her gasp at the red color of his eyes.

"Why-why do you have your Sharingan activated?" She gulped, knowing that her question would probably go unanswered.

"It helps the headache," he murmured in a voice so low she almost missed it. Hinata almost gasped; Sasuke had just answered her question! He sounded much different than he had yesterday. At that time he had sounded strained and tired, as if he had been stretched too thin. Although he didn't sound much better, at least Hinata could detect a slight glimmer of gentleness behind the cool voice.

"Ah…" she whispered, and then without even thinking, she said, "Do-do you need anything?"

"Well, I haven't eaten yet." Again, there was an answer. Dry and brusque, but still, it was a start.

"I-I'll go make you some soup," she stuttered in surprise. As she left the room, he turned his head around and stared out the window, hiding the smile on his face.

A half hour later, Sasuke could smell a delicious aroma wafting up to his room. He didn't know what had possessed him to ask this girl to cook, but at least he wasn't mistaken in doing so.

"Uchiha-san – "There was a soft footstep by his door.

Without turning and apparently without thinking, he interrupted, "Just Sasuke."

"Oh…um…S-Sasuke-san?" She tried saying the name apprehensively, deciding that she liked the way it felt on her tongue. "The soup is ready, i-if you want."

Without replying, he got up and headed out the door, toward the kitchen. She followed him down the stairs and to the kitchen. She stood awkwardly in the large kitchen, wondering where exactly to be. He looked up at her from his seat, "Sit down." She tried to shake her head, but the definite way he had 'asked' seemed to leave no room for argument.

They sat quietly as he drank the soup. Hinata silently observed that the dark circles under his eyes seemed to have lightened up a bit and his skin was not as haggard as it had been. Even the disheveled hair looked like it had been washed and cleaned up a bit. Without knowing the reason why, she felt a little thrill go through her, as if Sasuke were a patient recovering from an illness. The only thing that reminded her that he was not were the glowing red eyes he sometimes glanced at her with.

When he set down his bowl, she asked, a little braver this time, "Would you like some more? S-Sasuke-san?" Her tongue still stuttered over the unfamiliar name. She sighed when he merely looked away, into the distance. Hinata followed his gaze and gasped, the sun was almost ready to set. Her father would scold her to no end if she arrived home late.

Quickly, she got up and bowed hurriedly to Sasuke before rushing out the door.

"Thanks," it was just a soft murmur, but it was enough to stop her in her tracks. Slowly, she turned around, her eyes wide.

"Y-your welcome," she stuttered. Then she continued out. _What a strange day…_

He looked after her, a little smile on his face. Her cooking was excellent, and he was guaranteed to have a nice, good long sleep for the first time in years. He rinsed the bowl in the sink after washing it with some soap and then placed it in the cupboard. Then, he turned off the simmering stove and poured the contents into a larger bowl and stored it in the large refrigerator. He didn't usually eat leftovers, but her cooking was an exception.

When he returned to his room, he sat down on his bed and stared outside again. The stars were beginning to show and for the first time, a fragile peace settled in his heart.

"Hello, Sasuke-san," Hinata greeted the Uchiha with a shy smile as she pushed open the door to the study, finding him reading a book intently. When he saw her, his eyes flickered back to their obsidian black. As the days passed on, she noticed that she saw less of his Sharingan everyday – perhaps his eyes bothered him a bit less now. She observed happily that his pale skin seemed to have a healthier glow to it and his mood had improved quite a bit. They even had small conversations, now and then.

"Hn," Sasuke closed the book, looking at the Hyuga. "What are you so happy about, Hinata?"

"You just look better now, Sasuke-san," she replied. "We've all been pretty worried. But it looks like you're doing pretty well."

"Yeah," he muttered. "It's okay."

Despite her compliment, Hinata still knew that wearied look of Sasuke's as if he was carrying the whole world on his back. She walked over to his side of the room and pulled up the blinds. Bright afternoon sunshine filled the room, illuminating the two people and their surroundings. Sasuke squinted his eyes, suddenly blinded by the light. Hinata noticed his discomfort and quickly moved to pull down one of the blinds. The room grew a little darker, but still bright, nonetheless.

"Is this alright, Sasuke-san?" She asked.

He nodded, his eyes now adjusted to the brightness of the previously dark room. Hinata sat down on the leather couch alongside the wall.

"It was better before," he muttered, "And you had to go and make it all bright."

"Sorry," she replied with a gentle smile on her face. She had grown used to his slight complaints – he really was just like a child sometimes.

"Hn."

"I have to go a bit early tomorrow, Sasuke-san," Hinata said after mustering up a bit of courage. "I hope you won't mind."

"Why?" He lifted one graceful eyebrow as though he already knew the answer, which he probably did.

"Um…N-naruto w-wanted to…uh," Hinata's heart sank at how much she was stuttering. She composed herself and tried again, "N-naruto wanted to g-go to the movies and um…"

"You're really attached to that idiot, aren't you?" His voice was amused, but Hinata could hear the sudden coldness underneath it.

"H-he's not an idiot," she bit her lip, nervous that he would snap at her. After a second of tense silence, Sasuke sighed.

"I know."

She gaped at him. Opening up was something the infamous Sasuke Uchiha definitely didn't do, and now, Hinata felt that maybe, Sasuke was finally responding. Hinata didn't know what to say, leading to a bemused smirk on Sasuke's face.

"I probably know better then anyone in this village," Sasuke continued, "How important he is. You really love him, don't you?"

"Yeah…" she nodded, her face suddenly flushing. "I do…" _Why is my heart beating so fast?_

_This is getting boring, _Sasuke thought, _talking about the blond dobe really puts a damper on my mood. This sucks. _There was still that dull pain in his heart whenever he thought of that day. It had been a few months already, but Sasuke was still worried. From Hinata's infrequent mentions of him, Sasuke could gather that Naruto wasn't doing so well either.

"He's been pretty down recently," Hinata whispered, "Ever since…" her voice trailed off, not wanting to mention this sensitive topic. There it was, the tense silence that both of them feared whenever the subject of Naruto was brought up.

"There was no reason for that," Sasuke chuckled bitterly, "he couldn't just move on like everyone else. It would be much easier that way – it's his own fault he's in so much pain."

"That's not true!" Hinata blurted out before she could think. Horrified, she clapped a hand over her mouth. She felt a sudden, red-hot glare directed straight at her before it abated a second later. Sighing with relief, she whispered, "It's really – it's really not his fault. Y-you can't just expect him to forget something like that. Not after you – I mean, he was hurt like that." She tried to lessen the accusation in her voice without much result.

Sasuke's hard expression became bitter. He knew everyone in the village loathed him to some point, but even her…

"Sure," he snapped coldly, "I did hurt him, and you know what? It was fun because I am just a cold bastard who wanted to kill his own brother." He rose from his chair and stalked out of the room, his mood ruined.

"Sasuke…" Hinata whispered as tears rose to her eyes, "…I…I didn't mean to h-hurt you…"_ it's just that Naruto seems so hurt…I didn't notice how unhappy you were too…_

Outside the door, Sasuke heard her soft sobs and the pain in his heart intensified. For a moment, he entertained the thought of returning to the room and apologizing. However, he discarded it quickly when Naruto's head entered his mind. _She only has eyes for that blond bastard anyways, _he thought bitterly as he reached his room, _there wouldn't be any point. _

He sighed as his head hit the pillow, thinking, _it's not like I really care, anyway. _

But he knew that that was the darkest sort of blasphemy.

* * *

**Author's Note: **Hey guys! I'm still unsure if this update schedule will persist, but I finally planned out the story, so it should be better than the other messes I've created and hopefully it'll ward off writer's block. There are still a lot of issues Sasuke has to get through, but at least he and Hinata are interacting, ne?** Please review!** :]

note: I'm looking for a reliable beta, if interested, please PM or email me!

moonhaku


	5. Unforgettable Shadow

_**Wavering Between Forgotten Lines**_

**Naruto © Masashi Kishimoto

* * *

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–**Unforgettable Shadow**

Hinata wiped at the remaining tears that ran down her face as she walked down the relatively empty streets of Konoha. It was still mid-afternoon; it was too early for the busy night life to begin, yet too late for the mid-day break that flooded the village's streets with food vendors. However, her mind was far from the cheerful smiles of the shop owners as she passed by the store. Sasuke's face kept recurring in her head, especially the painful expressed on his face when she accused him of hurting Naruto. Her heart throbbed at such a memory. Even Sasuke, the supposed bane of Konoha, did not deserve to be treated in the way the village had been treating him.

He told her about the dreams when he was in an unusually good mood. They were devastating, horrible things that Hinata did not wish to remember. She supposed that seeing his whole clan murdered, having his life ruined, and being alone all of the sudden would break something in Sasuke's soul. She mentally cursed herself for bringing up the fragile topic of Naruto. Despite what the majority of the village believed, it seemed as though Sasuke cared a great deal for Naruto. If he didn't care at all, he wouldn't have such a reaction to her words.

Yet, there was something he was definitely hiding. Once again, Hinata felt a dry sob join the painful lump in her throat. She knew her reasons for approaching the Uchiha were not completely pure. Ever since Sakura and Naruto had returned from their visit at Sasuke's compound, they never went back. Something awful had happened, she was sure of it – even more so when she overheard a heated argument between Naruto and the Hokage.

"_See, I told you this would happen," Tsunade's voice sounded far from smug. _

"_We had to try," Naruto's voice was still trembling. "It didn't turn out the way I hoped."_

"_It was foolish!" Hinata could imagine the Hokage, her eyes blazing with fury. "This was a mad scheme to begin with. We should just extract his DNA and dispose of him."_

"_NO!" The door shuddered at the sheer force of Naruto's protest. "You can't just kill Sasuke, he can still change! You have to give him one more chance!"_

"_On what grounds?" Tsunade snapped. "You couldn't even hold in your own emotions. Those ANBU had to drag you back. The Sasuke you know doesn't exist anymore, face it boy!"_

"_No! You're wrong!" Hinata heard a tremor go through Naruto's usually confident voice. "It's not like that…"_

"_Then what?" Tsunade's rough voice seemed to soften. "You have already failed. Sasuke does not care for this village anymore. Just let it go."_

"_I can't," Naruto seemed to be in tears. "He's still in there, somewhere. There's just something I'm missing!"_

"_Enough!" Her voice broke, "I will not have you spend any more time with that traitor. I will not execute him, but you and Sakura will not be allowed to see him again. I only let you go because I thought that the boy you both believed in was still there, but apparently he is not. You will leave him be. This is not open for argument."_

_  
"Hai…" Naruto mumbled, all the fight gone out of him. Hinata's breath hitched at the sadness in his voice. She stole away in the darkness of the corridor and left the Hokage tower quietly._

Although she questioned them, Sakura and Naruto refused to tell her anything. From what she could gather from gossip, a friendly spar had turned into an all-out attack. Naruto obviously had the advantage, but somehow Sasuke had escaped relatively unscathed. She had never gotten close enough to see anything, but from Tsunade's examination the first day, she could see that there were only a few light bruises on his pale shoulders. Naruto had nary a scratch on him. The true wound seemed to lie in their hearts.

After spending a few weeks visiting Sasuke, she couldn't accept that the Uchiha was the cold and uncaring monster everyone said he was. He certainly wasn't warm and overtly friendly, but his disposition was not through a fault of his own. Few could empathize with the agony he had endured as a child.

And when he smiled, even a little, it made Hinata's heart feel like bursting.

But, in the end, she ended up treating him just like everyone else, like a monster. Even she who prided herself on her unwavering objectivity and sympathy had allowed herself to be subject to such binding prejudices. Hinata was sorely disappointed in herself and let the crushed feeling envelope her as she stumbled toward the Hyuga complex. There was nothing more that she could do, it would have to wait for another day. When she thought of it, her heart trembled. Would tomorrow be like the first day all over again? Her heart screamed when she thought of that lost and wearied look on Sasuke's face. She just wanted to make it all better, tape together his broken heartstrings, but at the same time, she wanted to run far, far away from pain that threatened to consume her. After all, Sasuke was stuck in the shadows, with no way to come out.

But she knew that no matter how much she bathed in the sunlight, no matter how much she indulged in Naruto's cheerful, cloudless skies, she would always be looking back to the darker places, to the place where a man with blood-red eyes stood.

She sighed as her head hit the pillow, a tear sliding down her cheek as she shifted over. Sasuke's angry glare had burned a hole in her and there was no way to fill it in. Turning over, she looked out at the windows at the stars that Sasuke seemed to like so much. Many times, she had seen him looking out the sky, as if seeing stars that weren't there. Now, she just wished that all the stars would disappear and leave her in peace. Each of the bright lights was an accusation of her uselessness.

Yet try as she might, sleep escaped her. She could not console herself. There really was no peace in the life of a ninja, all these complexities and rules. They always ended hurting the ones she loved most.

* * *

In the middle of the night, Sasuke woke. His chest was burning and his head felt like a ton of bricks. Quickly, he activated his Sharingan and the pain lessened. The thumping of his heart slowed as he realized where he was. Konoha. Uchiha complex. Situated in a relatively safe location in the village. No one was going to attack him here.

He was safe.

He muttered to himself as he lay down his head on the pillow again. The imprisonment was suffocating him. The loneliness was unbearable – he couldn't _describe _how much he looked forward to the Hyuga girl's appearance everyday. Just the presence of another person brightened up his mood, even if nothing showed on his impassive face. She was truly a reflection her name, sunshine. For the first time in years, Sasuke had felt at peace when he felt her presence in the room. Although he knew that she concealed ulterior motives, it was pushed to the back of his mind. Her little movements, gestures that were so childlike yet so graceful at the same time troubled him. Occasionally, he would have the urge to reach out and touch her pale skin to see if it was really as soft as it looked. He'd never had this type of feeling before; it was all very strange to him. There had never been any time for woman. It certainly didn't make him pure; he just never encountered this urge to _connect_ with a woman in a way that didn't involve a bed. All he had ever wanted was a quick way to relieve stress. But with Hinata, it was a complete one-eighty; he wanted to talk about things with her, and when she told him about her day, it actually interested him. He sighed again, combing a tense hand through his hair. When she smiled, his heart felt like it was about to burst. It was a feeling not easily put into words.

However, it just made the previous events of the afternoon even worse. Without knowing, Sasuke had started to trust Hinata. She was understanding, thoughtful and innocent. Provided, it wouldn't make for a useful ninja, but that sort of job was not suited to her demure nature. He had all but forgotten how sensitive she was when the subject of Naruto was brought up. Whenever the blond dobe's name was mentioned, a sudden blush would cover her face and those well-managed stutters would reappear with a vengeance. She changed and became a completely different person than the calm and pleasant girl she showed to Sasuke. How he hated that effect Naruto had on her. It hadn't occurred to him until that moment that he was in _serious _trouble. He couldn't remember that last time he had _wanted_ to be the reason behind a girl's smitten blushes. The reason was simple; he never had.

He wondered what would happen the next day. Obviously, apologies would be in order – especially his own; she did nothing wrong. Sasuke didn't know why he had such an intense reaction to her words. They weren't anything he hadn't heard before. "Ugh…" he rubbed his forehead, trying to straighten the furrows that seemed to be etched in there for all eternity. What was so special about that insignificant Hyuga that he even contemplated apologizing to her? Just thinking about it made his mouth go dry. This was _Sasuke Uchiha; _he did not make apologies for _anything_. Besides, strictly speaking, the Hyuga girl had offended him first. However, no matter what he tried to persuade himself to think, he knew that his reaction had been over the top. Her soft, aching sobs resounded in his mind. When was the last time someone had cried so pitifully, so regretfully for him? _Damn it, _he cursed himself. _Why didn't I just go and apologize in the first place? Then I wouldn't be stuck in bed thinking about all these cursed things. _His eyes snapped open as the thought passed through his head. Sasuke Uchiha was contemplating apologizing for something so painfully trivial! His aching pride threw itself at him, pushing down his earlier, remorseful thoughts. Tomorrow would come whether or not he fussed over it. This was a welcome relief from the turmoil that tumbled through him only seconds earlier.

Sighing, he tossed and turned in his bed, waiting for the sleep he knew would never come.

* * *

Hinata opened her eyes, the weak autumn sunshine dancing on her face. After a good five hours of fretting nervously and half-sobbing, she had finally fallen into a light sleep. She rubbed her face, feeling like stretched rubber. There was work at the hospital, and then…she tried to push it out of her mind. Just thinking about the inevitable confrontation made her light-headed. It would be so horribly awkward, as she mumbled excuses that were mostly lies and tried not to burst out in nervous tears. And she could not even imagine how Sasuke would react. Did he sleep well? Did he have nightmares again? Countless questions plagued her mind concerning his well-being. She felt like breaking to pieces, thinking about the suffering that went on under those unfathomable black eyes.

But after a night of thinking, she felt as if she was also in a position to reprimand him. After all, he had betrayed Konoha and was suspected of joining the Akatsuki. He had caused everyone in the village tremendous pain and exacted much too heavy a toll from the former Team 7. Nobody had even bothered to pretend that Sai had filled the gap; it was much too large, not to mention excessively weighty as well. Hinata had sat by Sakura when she spent countless nights weeping, and after the tears ran out, zoning out listlessly, eyes downcast and body limp. She had watched as Naruto exhausted himself far too much in training sessions, torturing his body until he was senseless, just so he would not have to feel the pain of abandonment. She had bit back a sob when Kakashi tried to comfort his ruins of a team when he himself seemed ready to break. Surely Sasuke deserved some punishment for that. Surely Sasuke deserved some iota of the pain he had caused others. Surely Sasuke deserved to suffer if not in the name of revenge, then in the name of _justice_. But why could Hinata not harden her heart to think so?

No matter what she said to herself, her heart still broke for Sasuke when she thought of his weary face, his broken soul, his lifeless words. Surely Sasuke had already endured all the punishment Fate had decided was fit for him to receive. But at the same time, Hinata wanted to slap him in the face and _show _him how he had destroyed his friends, the only ones in the world who cared for him. Yet how could she do that, when his obsidian black eyes would only swallow up her fury and leave sympathy in its wake?

"This is stupid," Hinata mumbled as she fell ungracefully out of her bed. Maybe she should just pretend to be sick and stay away from the Uchiha mansion for a day. A knock at her door shook her out of her thoughts.

"Hinata-sama," a voice she recognized as Neji's drawled, "It's already eight. You'll be late."

"O-okay," she replied quickly, hopping around the room with one shoe on and her purple jacket hanging from her shoulders. After gulping down a glass of water and forsaking breakfast, she zipped up her jacket and opened the door. Neji looked down at her unapprovingly.

"Hinata-sama," he sighed, "Your hair is barely combed and you look like you just fell out of your bed. Please at least make an effort to wake up earlier."

"Gomen, Neji," Hinata mumbled, "I had a bit of trouble sleeping."

"Is it something to do with the Uchiha?" His voice turned cold. Hinata winced; Neji never approved of her visiting Sasuke. He hated the village traitor with a passion.

"No…" she lied smoothly, "I'm just tired."

His eyes narrowed; she knew that he wasn't fooled, not even for a second. However, he relented and replied in a slightly gentler tone, "Don't wear yourself out too much, Hinata-sama. You have to take care of your body before treating other people."

"Yeah…" Hinata smiled gently at her cousin, "I'll be fine though, Neji. I have tomorrow off."

"And you have a date with Naruto this afternoon, am I right?" He seemed genuinely amused at the blush that covered her features. However, it was not for the reason that he or she had expected. Her date with Naruto! She had totally forgotten about it; the confrontation with Sasuke had occupied so much of her thought processes that a date with Naruto had slipped her mind! _I'm really going crazy, _she bit her lip nervously. _What am I going to wear? What movie was it again? Did we even choose anything? I'm so stupid – I can't believe I forgot. _A million things flooded her head at once.

Hinata looked up, seeing that Neji was smirking pleasantly. She frowned, making it look more like a pout than a sign of displeasure. He chuckled and shook his head. What an air-headed cousin he had!

"We should be going," he stated, seeing her eyes snap back into focus at those words. She nodded numbly, no doubt still in shock of her lapse in memory, following him as they made it through the wooden corridors of the Hyuga complex. They parted at the large main gate; Neji headed to the ANBU station and Hinata for the hospital.

After a hurried farewell, Hinata ran towards the hospital. Sakura would scold her again for being late! She rushed into the staff's locker rooms and quickly changed into the standard medic's uniform. It was off-white and form fitting, a far cry from the conservative jacket Hinata had always worn. Quickly, she swept up her black hair into a loose ponytail and half-ran to the front lobby to pick up her assignments. Shizune smiled at her from behind the counter.

"Hello, Hinata," the black-haired woman greeted her. "You're a bit late today."

"Gomen," Hinata replied apologetically. "I was just …"

"It's alright," Shizune interrupted her, "Most of the other medics come in hours late anyway. You're usually here even before eight, so one time is fine. Here's your assignment for today." She handed Hinata a clipboard with some color coded paper.

"A squad returned last night and they have some minor injuries; but they still need to be in the hospital. Just a few fractures and stuff like that. The patients in room 207 and 208 can be discharged today…"

* * *

Sasuke was pacing. He _never _paced. But now, he was, walking in fast, clipped steps around the second floor of the Uchiha complex. If he had gone any faster the wood would have caught on fire from the friction. The bright noon sun shone in through the windows, which he avoided carefully. It warmed up the room, but in the shadows near the wall, Sasuke felt unbearably cold. He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. His hair must be utterly disheveled and rumpled by now; it was going to start falling in clumps if he kept up this incessant worrying. He sat down on the couch in the study room, where he had unintentionally wandered after deciding that lying in bed pretending to sleep wasn't a viable option. Numerous hypothetical situations ran through his head.

Should he just act like nothing ever happened? Then Hinata might get insulted and get the wrong opinion. Maybe he could just avoid the subject entirely and carry on like they were perfect strangers. Then she might be sad and feel guilty. A small voice in his mind whispered, softly prodded him. _Maybe he could just apologize? _His heart skipped a beat at the small request. Although it may seem insignificant to others, apologizing was definitely a big deal to the Uchiha. He had his pride to deal with; admitting that he did something wrong would definitely be a blow to his ego. Thoughtlessly, he looked outside the window, his teeth clenched when he saw a slight, purple-clothed girl walking uncertainly toward his compound. His eyes followed her as she stopped in front of the door, stopping as if deciding whether to enter or not. For a frightening moment, she turned around and he thought that she might walk away. But then she stopped and returned to the door, this time, opening it slowly and stepping in.

"S-sasuke-san?" His breath hitched at the slight stutter in her voice. She must be terrified. Not knowing how to answer, he simply walked out of the library and proceeded down the hallway. Sasuke heard Hinata moving up the wooden steps. Their eyes met when Hinata appeared at the top. After a moment, she ducked her head, a bright blush on her cheeks. Her fingers fidgeted where she let them hang. "H-hello…" she mumbled.

"Err…" he grasped at words, not knowing how to begin. All the fledgling preparations in his mind dissolved into a puddle. "About yesterday…"

"I'm so sorry!" She interrupted him sharply, her voice on the verge of breaking from nervousness, "I-I was too insensitive a-and…d-did you want to s-say something?" He looked at her with a bewildered expression. It just dawned on her that she had interrupted him; she had been too preoccupied with her own nervous thoughts to hear anything around her. She took a deep breath to calm down her trembling nerves. Sasuke felt a slight smile work its way onto his face. This girl had guts – more than he had, anyway. He cleared his throat uncertainly.

"It's quite alright, I let my temper get the best of me," he said smoothly, as if rehearsed, which it probably was. She looked at him in shock. Could that count as an apology of some sorts? Yes, Hinata's mind told her, it did. The pent up tension between them dissolved a bit. She still looked at him uncertainly, feeling a pang of guilt when she noticed the reappearance of dark circles of under his eyes and the disheveled hair. She hadn't been the only one who couldn't sleep. Somehow, this realization pleased her slightly, although she still felt the urge to put him to sleep. He was obviously tired, just as she was.

"The weather's nice," she said conversationally. A blush rose to her cheeks when he raised his eyebrows, as if saying, _you can do better than that. _"But you should go to bed, you look tired," it was definitely the medic in her talking.

Sasuke chuckled pleasantly, dispelling any of the leftover pressure between them. "I'm fine," replied he. "Sleep deprivation is quite common; it takes a lot more to kill me."

"But!" She protested, but gave up when she saw the truth behind his words. Besides, it would much more enjoyable having a nice, normal conversation with him. Maybe she could coax him into getting some rest after she left. "Have you eaten yet?"

"No," he said.

"I'll go make something," Hinata offered and started going down the steps, humming pleasantly to herself. "It'll take about half an hour."

"I'll help."

She looked at him in shock. A slight smile graced his pale, handsome features. "What, you don't want me intruding on _my_ kitchen?" He put an emphasis on the word 'my'.

"N-no," she blinked; it was like looking at the sun. "But I can do it by myself…"

"I don't get to do anything anymore; I have to make myself feel useful." He continued, walking past her and down the steps. "I'll cut the vegetables or something so I don't ruin your cooking."

"Sasuke-san…" Hinata's eyes shined. So this Uchiha had such a charming side to him as well. He turned around again, treating her to another small smile.

"Call me Sasuke, no formalities."

"H-hai…" she mumbled, suddenly embarrassed. This strangely amiable Sasuke would take some time to get used to. She was glad that all her earlier worry was for naught; they both seemed to be quite glad to ignore the white elephant in the room and proceed. Shrugging off her worries, she followed him down the stairs, feeling extremely giddy all of the sudden. Maybe she really was going crazy.

She found him holding a kitchen knife when she entered the room.

"What should I butcher first?" He was amused when Hinata giggled in spite of herself. Opening the refrigerator, she handed him a squash and some bell peppers as well as a few other vegetables. She busied herself with cleaning out the frying pan and keeping an eye on the Uchiha. It was strange, seeing the so-called Avenger doing such a domesticated task like chopping vegetables. He met her stare, forcing her to drop her head and busy herself with the rice cooker. A small chuckle filled the space between them. Then there was the silence again, only broken by rhythmical chopping and beeping.

"Here," he handed her a plate of cut vegetables. She whispered her thanks and dropped them into the frying pan. He wandered outside the kitchen, sitting down on the tatami mat in the living room. The sound of cooking and the smell of food soon filled the air. He felt his eyes droop shut. It really had been a mentally tiring day. There were still plenty of unresolved issues, but he would be quite happy to continue ignoring them. However, there was still something at the back of mind, prodding him gently. A soft hand touched his shoulder. He jerked away, almost hitting Hinata before he realized it was her. She recovered from the initial shock, smiling gently and said, "Do you want to go and rest before you eat? I'll keep it warm for you."

"It's okay," he mumbled. "I'll just eat it first. I'm not really tired, anyway."

She disappeared into kitchen, returning with a two steaming plates of cooked vegetables and rice. Sitting down on the tatami mat, she placed the two plates on the table, one for him and one for her. Her sheepish smile told him that she probably hadn't eaten either. They both started to eat without a word. After a moment, she put down her chopsticks and cleared her throat nervously. He stopped, looking up at her inquisitively.

"I…um…" she murmured, "I have to go earlier today…so…"

Sasuke looked at her, confused. Then he remembered, she had a date with Naruto. Just that name struck a nerve in him. Stupid blond, getting in the way.

"Fine." Without a word, he continued eating. Hinata bit back a sigh; the dark-haired man was obviously displeased. She picked up her chopsticks, but her appetite had mysteriously disappeared with the reappearance of Sasuke's grumpy mood.

"I-I could stay," she gulped, not knowing what possessed her to speak. "I-if you want, of course."

He looked up at her, his black eyes threatening to devour her. Inside, Sasuke's heart felt hopeful at the possibility, and he toyed with the idea of making her stay, but he could see how much it would cost her. The blond idiot made her happy. Although his mood would be positively ruined, Sasuke didn't want to make Hinata stay with him purely out of pity.

"No, go to the movies. I'll be fine." He grunted, shifting his weight. "It's not as if I've never been alone, anyhow."

"W-well, you j-just never let anyone else get close," she gasped as the word flew out of her mouth unwarranted. Clasping a hand over her mouth, she began to apologize, not wanting a repeat performance of the day before. However, when he met her eyes, her fears abated. He wasn't angry as she had expected. In fact, his eyes seemed so lonely and lost that she felt her mind go blank.

"I know…" his voice trailed off. "They could never really relate to me."

"You never let them," Hinata ventured again, hoping her good luck would persist.

"It is quite difficult to do that," his forehead furrowed. "Most people don't get to see their family murdered."

"While that's true," Hinata felt herself gaining more confidence. This was pretty odd for her; she had always been such a quiet, unassuming girl. What had led her to speak like this? "There was Naruto. He's alone; just like you are. And besides, he was your friend. He really loved you, why would just leave him like that?" She knew her luck had run out when he cast his obsidian eyes downward, as if burning a hole into the ground. Naruto's name seemed to be taboo.

"He will never understand," Sasuke whispered ferociously. "There are things that I can never tell – and no one will ever know. There are things that he doesn't need to be told. He never had a family, he will never completely understand what I have lost." He directed his flaming eyes toward her, she could see that his Sharingan was activated, the three tomoe standing out in the bright red.

"You hurt him." Even softly said, she winced at the accusation in her voice.

"How do you know that? Oh, that's right, the tears must have given him away." He replied sarcastically, bitterness enhancing the effect. "Spineless coward."

"As if you have never cried." Her voice trembled with rage. She wanted to slap him, a thought that surprised her. Hinata had never felt this violent urge before. Why was Sasuke provoking all these odd emotions from her?

"Hyuga, you do _not _know my feelings." The way he said her last name was like a slap in the face. "Screamed, yes. Fight, yes. Agonize, yes. But _cry_? You belittle me."

"Emotion is not weakness," Hinata hissed, though she felt much more like crying. To tell the truth, she could not even believe in her own words, but she spoke with conviction. "Everyone has a time when they need to cry. I pity you, Sasuke, at least others had a shoulder to cry on. You had nothing because you pushed them all away." Yes, she was angry; more at herself than the man in front of her. Her argument held no weight. Any shoulder he would have found would have been insubstantial. Sasuke Uchiha was truly alone.

He looked away from her, indicating an end to the conversation. "Go on your little date, Hinata," his voice seemed slightly softer and gentler, "It seems you are more attached to your fox than I suspected."

Hinata nodded numbly, her mind going blank. She picked up her half-finished plate and deposited the contents into the wastebasket. After closing the door, she looked back at the mansion, the earlier conversation plaguing her mind. And she had such hopes for today; it had ended on a bad note again. Next time, she was determined to keep Naruto out of the conversation. Sasuke had enough shadows on his heart without her stepping on them and creating more.

Sasuke watched her as she left, taking one lingering look at her purple coat. He sighed, his temper really was getting the best of him. He tried to keep it down; but her presence made him feel much more vulnerable and emotional than he was used to. She was angry, he could see that. No doubt, Sakura had probably cried enough to fill an ocean and Naruto had tried to break himself to pieces when Sasuke had left. Hinata's accusation was only natural.

"_I pity you, Sasuke, at least others had a shoulder to cry on. You had nothing because you pushed them all away." _

Her voice resounded in his mind. She had been completely correct, he thought, being a loner was part of nature; but it was no excuse. However, if she ever offered that shoulder, he would never push it away. Instead, he would hold onto her tightly and never let her go. It was then that he knew that he was in much more trouble than he had ever suspected.

* * *

**Author's Note: **er…this one got quite long, though I don't think you'll be complaining. I had more planned, but it'll probably double the length of this, so that'll be the next chapter. Things will start to speed up and there'll definitely be more dialogue. Sasuke has to get out of his house arrest though; he can't talk to other people if they don't come to him. **Please review!**

moonhaku 


	6. Imaginary

_**Wavering Between Forgotten Lines**_

**Author's Note: **After 1.5 years of absence, I'm sort of back? Either way, I want to finish up my stories before I leave for college in 2012. It's been a long time, but I feel that I have to tie up loose ends and I can't keep on feeling guilty forever. Hopefully my writing hasn't deteriorated too much. I would hate to lose to my younger self.

**Naruto © Masashi Kishimoto**

* * *

–**Imaginary**

Naruto look down at his unfinished bowl of miso ramen. The soggy noodles were clumped together and moist pieces of seaweed clung to the damp strips. It was only his first bowl, and all he had done was jab his chopsticks at the usually delectable meal. If this was any other day, he would have been in the middle of his third bowl, with a fourth one on the way. He knew that the old man was worried about him; he could see the worried expression from the corner of his eye. He held back a sigh, he knew, this behavior was unlike him. Uzumaki Naruto was supposed to be the very essence of sunshine.

"Hey," he looked up at the sound of the familiar voice. The pink haired girl sat down next to him, shifting her weight uncomfortably on the barstool. He tried to summon a weak smile until he realized that she wasn't looking at him. He shook his head, and turned his attention back to his abandoned ramen.

He heard her order a small bowl of ramen, and then it was silent again. Naruto had never done well with silence. He stared at the noodles and oil congealing in the bowl, trying to find something to talk about. What was there to say, though? His mind was still trapped in the argument – _fight_ that had broken out between him and Sasuke. He knew, without Sakura or Kakashi or any of the Rookie Nine telling him – he'd messed up.

It was an unspoken agreement between them, that they would proceed as normal. They would pretend that Konoha was the village that Sasuke had left it as, that the impact of Sasuke's betrayal hadn't struck so deep. At first it was difficult, but Naruto was adept at putting on fake smiles. Besides, the familiarity of his childish actions and Sasuke's annoyed expressions allowed him to believe that the past wasn't so far away. Maybe there was still something there.

His fist clenched the orange fabric of his pants as he felt disappointment well up inside. _Why couldn't things just work out, for _once? All he wanted was a brother again.

"Naruto."

He blinked hurriedly and tried to find his voice, "Y-yeah, Sakura?"

"Naruto," she paused for a moment and then with a firmer tone, she said, "Look at me."

"I'm concentrating on my ramen," Naruto replied steadily. It was true; he had been staring at it rather intently.

"Naruto, you've been staring at that bowl for fifteen minutes," she pursed her lips and said with a teasing tone, "Since when did eating ramen become a mental exercise?"

"Maybe I just want to try something different," he scowled and met her green eyes, "I'm allowed to be different, right?"

"Of course, Naruto," Sakura tried to look reassuring. She stared at him, trying to bite back a weary sigh. His blue eyes had lost their shine, and she felt helpless to do anything about it.

"I'm sorry, Sakura," he lowered his eyes and stared at the ramen bowl, at his chopsticks, at anything but those striking green eyes. "I…I messed up."

It took a moment for the kunoichi to realize what he was referring to. Her eyes widened in bewilderment – Naruto was blaming _himself _for what had happened? And what did he mean, "messed up"?

"Naruto, you didn't do anything wrong," she whispered. "We…we were just stupid and foolish."

"Everyone else was doing fine," he countered, "I need to learn how to control my emotions better."

"You've already done very well," she tried to smile encouragingly. He still wasn't look at her, and he was fiddling with his chopsticks – a nervous tic he had picked up from Hinata? The thought of the couple made Sakura's stomach flip, and she bit her lip, refusing to let any sound escape.

"Although you did overdo it a little," his head snapped up and she quickly corrected herself, "I mean, with all the happy shouting and yelling. But it wasn't anything wrong." _Kami, Sakura. You're such an idiot – just stop talking for once!_

"He probably got really annoyed, didn't he…," Naruto looked down again, staring at his hands. "I just…I just don't know what to do anymore." He clenched his fist and the chopstick in his hand snapped in half. Sakura felt the need to wrap her arms around him, to tell him it was alright, to somehow cover those hunched shoulders with her own, to somehow make him _smile_. But it was wrong, all wrong – Naruto had a girlfriend now. She couldn't just go embracing him as she liked.

"You…," she felt her voice waver, and she took a deep breath, "You don't have to go back."

"But…," his voice trailed off and he raised his head with eyes full of confusion. "But then…then how are – "

"It's alright, Naruto, it's…," she tried to stare straight into his blue eyes as if it would communicate her thoughts more efficiently, "It's time we stopped being foolish."

"Sakura…," Naruto stared at her, suddenly remembering the night long ago, when Sakura had pleaded with Naruto to bring _him_ – Sasuke – back. _"It's my only wish, Naruto," she struggled through her tears, "Please…please bring Sasuke back…" She sobbed relentlessly, each cough, each tear stabbing at Naruto's heart. _Sasuke's physical body was back now, but Naruto knew what Sakura really wanted. His heart was still not here, and Naruto had to bring it back. He had promised – it was a lifelong vow. He would do whatever it took to bring back Sasuke's soul, because Sakura loved him. And Naruto – Naruto would do anything to make Sakura happy.

"…I…I made a promise," Naruto continued, "I would bring him back to us, back to you."

"But he's here, Naruto," she countered, "he's right over there, under lock and key. He's back."

"But not really, he's not," he said sadly, "he's not really here. And…and…I just…I" His throat closed up and he tried to keep the emotion from pervading his voice. It wasn't right, what he was feeling. He thought back to Hinata, with her gentle smile and kind eyes. _Why couldn't he just love her?_ She was good to him – she _loved_ him, like nobody else had ever loved him. But…he looked at Sakura, with her flashing eyes and worried expression, somehow…it wasn't enough.

"You did your best, Naruto," Sakura reached up to touch his face, stopping just a few inches away. _He has Hinata_. Her eyes stung and she blinked a few times, stopping the tears that threatened to spill, "…you don't have to do anymore." _Stop hurting yourself._

"It's alright, Sakura," Naruto mustered enough strength to put on a weak façade of a smile, "I'm Konoha's number one ninja! I can get through this." He turned away from her cautious face and reached for new chopsticks, intent on ending the conversation and finishing his ramen. His fingers had just graced the tips of the wooden chopsticks when he felt a hand push his arm down.

"No," Sakura gazed at his arm, avoiding his incredulous expression. "_No_, you idiot. Don't just – don't just smile at me and tell me you're okay. _Stop it_."

"What?" Flustered and confused, Naruto tried to wrench his arm from her grip, but her chakra infused fingers wouldn't let him budge an inch. "What're you-"

"I _hate_ it when people lie to themselves," she cut him off. "Get yourself out of the past, Naruto. It's not going to be the same – ever. Sasuke's never going to truly come back to us and…and…that's alright."

"But don't you – " _love him_? Naruto couldn't find the strength the finish the sentence. It hurt. It hurt like _hell_, knowing that.

"It's not fair for you, and it's not fair for me either," Sakura continued with a shaky tone. "We have to move on."

"We can't just leave him!" Naruto protested.

"And why not!" A single tear dripped down Sakura's chin, but it didn't seem to matter anymore. Frustration wracked her mind, for the infinite time she cursed his thickheaded-ness. Couldn't he _see_? Oh, why couldn't he just figure it _out_? Why did she have to spell everything out for him? She slammed a palm down on the bar table's surface, unwittingly making the wood splinter, "_Uzumaki Naruto, just go and live your own life okay? This isn't your business!_"

"Of course it's my business! He's my best friend and you're – you're," Naruto couldn't seem to find the words. Sakura glared at him defiantly, thought inwardly her heart beating rapidly. It wasn't – it couldn't – no, it's shouldn't – her thoughts fluttered at the possibilities, even while she tried to suppress any hopes from rising.

"What am I, Naruto?" Her voice was quiet, as if she didn't want to hear the answer because she already knew – hoped – what it was.

"You're…" Naruto looked down at his hands, twisting his index finger around and around, "…you're someone…someone very precious to me." His last few words were barely more than a movement of the lips, but to Sakura, they were loud and clear.

The memories overwhelmed her; she could hear echoes of the past, when he proclaimed his undying love for her over and over again – and her obstinate refusals. When he started dating Hinata, she realized what she should have treasured…and lost. Sakura tried to keep the trembling out of her voice, though she knew she was going to start sobbing in minutes, "I – "

But Naruto immediately cut her off, and with a grim tone, said, "But I know, Sakura. I know, your heart is still … still reserved for Sasuke. It's okay," he glanced at her with his old crooked smile. "I'm used to it. Besides, I have Hinata-chan. She-she's real nice to me, haha. I think I really do like her."

"I- I'm meeting her for a date today," Naruto chuckled dryly, "she wanted to go see a movie and stuff."

"But Naruto, I –" Sakura wanted to tell him the truth, but it would be cruel, wouldn't it? Her lips clamped shut. She had given up her chance long ago, and besides, she had hurt him enough. He didn't need her anymore, and that was that. And in any case, she didn't deserve him either. Saying things now would only hurt him, her, and Hinata.

"Gee, Sakura," Naruto's shaky voice brought her back to reality, "You're going to have to pay for that." He pointed to the damage surrounding Sakura's bowl of ramen. The wood was twisted, warped and splintered from her palms. The fake merriment didn't last long, however. His eyes dimmed again, and he started shoving ramen into his mouth with an expression akin to pain.

Sakura watched him with worried eyes, her fingers itching to touch him, to wipe that agonized look off his face. The conversation was over though, she knew that. The moment was gone, like everything else, it was empty again.

* * *

Hinata left the Uchiha compound with confused feelings, to say the least. Sasuke had been angry with her, and it was nobody's fault but her own. They had gotten along so _well_, and then she had to go and mention Naruto's name. Still, the memory of his bright red eyes and hauntingly attractive face made her heart thud a bit more than usual. She wasn't used to seeing this much _emotion_ in him. Light amusement and ever present obstinacy, she had seen regularly, but full blown anger was rare. She had _felt_ his chakra tingling and stinging the air around it. Even now she could taste it at the tip of her tongue; it was musky and … strangely, like lightning. How odd.

She had resisted the urge to look back at the Uchiha compound, knowing somehow that if she did, she would see crimson eyes staring back at her. Instead, she focused her mind on her upcoming date with Naruto. Just the thought of her cheerful, exuberant boyfriend instantly lifted her mood. He had been a bit down for the past week for reasons she knew clearly, and that just made her eve more determined to pull him out of it. _I'm sure some ramen and some sweets would cheer him up_, Hinata grinned despite herself.

Hinata navigated the busy streets of Konoha, ducking in between pedestrians and street vendors. The sun overhead already signaled that she was late, though she knew that Naruto would be plenty occupied at the Ichiraku ramen bar, where they met up for their dates. With a happy sigh, Hinata almost skipped down the wide road that led to the bar – and her boyfriend.

When she saw his orange sweater and that shock of blonde hair, she immediately raised her hand in greeting and was about to call his name when she realized that Sakura was sitting next to him. They were both tense somehow, and when she looked more closely, she could see splinters under Sakura's palm. Naruto's shoulders were hunched over, as if he was in pain. They were talking, though their voices were barely above whispers.

Hinata's voice couldn't come out. Why was Sakura there? Why was Naruto so upset? Maybe she should just ask instead of standing there? Yet she felt fear, afraid of the possibility that had always stayed in the corner of her mind.

Taking note of their preoccupied state, Hinata inched in slowly, taking care to hide behind the Ichiraku's wall. It wasn't nearly as loud on this street as it was on the main road, yet she could only catch snippets of their conversation. Her cheeks heated up – this sneaky behavior wasn't like her, yet she couldn't stop herself. Her feet wouldn't move and her voice refused to call out. She felt the cool wooden wall behind her, unwillingly concentrating on the excited murmurs she heard from within.

"…he's my best friend..." He was talking about Sasuke, Hinata realized instantly. She gulped, knowing that the conversation was completely off limits to her. As much as Naruto talked around her, never once had he mentioned Sasuke. It seemed like it was something only the rest of Team 7 could understand, and she had understood that. Hinata wanted to tear herself away; her mind was screaming at her to leave. Eavesdropping was _rude_, and highly insensitive. Yet Hinata couldn't wrench herself away.

"you're…you're someone very precious to me…" Hinata's mouth went dry. _Sakura? He means…Naruto – _she felt her breaths come out in heavy bouts. Her chest was heaving as the phrase ran over and over again through her mind. _Someone very precious…_she grimaced at the sharp pain shooting through her chest with each heavy thud of her heart. _He means…he still loves…_

"…But I know, Sakura… your heart is still … still reserved for Sasuke…" Hinata bit on her lower lip, knowing that she couldn't listen to any more of the conversation. All of the insecurities came rushing back at her. She wasn't good enough. She wasn't brave enough. She wasn't pretty enough. She wasn't _Sakura_. The metallic tang of blood filled her mouth when her teeth punctured her lip. Her legs wobbly and weak, she slowly slid down the wooden wall, sitting on the crumbled gravel.

_Naruto_, Hinata stared at a weed poking out of the road. A dandelion. The yellow pierced her vision, and she clapped her hands over her ears. She didn't want to hear any more. It hurt, it hurt more than she thought possible. _Naruto doesn't love me. He…he still loves Sakura. Damn, you were blind, Hinata. So blind! He always loved Sakura. He will always love Sakura. He will never choose you_, she felt herself succumb to the self-deprecating thoughts invading her mind. What happened? Today was supposed to be fun. She and Naruto were supposed to go out for a movie, and then maybe a walk around the lake. He was supposed to talk and laugh, and she with him. He would take her home to the Hyuuga compound, Neji would threaten him about bringing her home late, and maybe, he would kiss her good night. That was how today was _supposed_ to go.

The pain in her chest brought her back to reality, and her eyes snapped open, freeing the tears building up behind the lids. All she could hear was the blood coursing through her arteries and the old wounds straining at the scarring again. She had to get home. The little room with the soft bed and bare walls that had belonged to her since birth – she had to get there. She couldn't collapse on the edge of the road – that would be disruptive, and what if Naruto saw her?

Slowly, Hinata rose to her feet with one hand clasped over her chest. Her home was a good ten or fifteen minutes away, but she had to make it. She had to get away from Naruto, away from everything that hurt her.

Everything was a blur as she stumbled her way back to the compound. She nearly collided with a vegetable cart; her eyes were gazing far into the distance so she hadn't noticed the mountain of turnips before her. The little old man that operated the cart yelled obscenities at her but she didn't notice. Strangely, everything was muted somehow. She could still hear, but all the sounds seemed to blur into one constant buzz. Hinata knew how silly she must look, tear streaks on her face and all. If her father had been there, she would never have heard the end of it.

When her hand came in contact with the textured white stucco of the Hyuuga compound's surrounding walls, she breathed a sigh of relief. Only a few more minutes and she would be safe inside. Safe from Naruto, safe from her emotions. When Hinata saw the guards outside, she wiped her eyes hurriedly, trying to hide the fact that she had been crying. Her father would be angry if he heard that she came home upset. It would be embarrassing.

"Hinata-sama," one of the guards regarded her cautiously, "…are you not well?"

She quickly looked up, red rims and all, "Ano…I'm fine. Just…allergies."

He looked unconvinced, but pushed open the wooden door anyway, allowing her in. With a slight nod of gratitude, she stepped over the ledge quickly.

Luckily it was the middle of the afternoon and everyone was off busying themselves with training and such. There were barely any Hyuuga wandering the compound, a fact she was thankful for. She didn't want anyone to see her in this sorrowful state. She walked down the hall briskly, keeping her head down and her steps soft.

As Hinata turned down a hallway and her door came into view, she heard a deep voice behind her, "Hinata-sama?"

"N-neji?" Hinata turned around with shock. Since when had he been there? "I-I thought you were on a mission…"

"We got back early," he replied nonchalantly, taking notice of Hinata's quick breathing and pink eyes. He looked down to her hands; they were trembling. As if she had noticed his inspection, she balled up her hands and tried to keep them together to stop the movement. She tried to put on a wobbly smile, which only served to trouble him more.

"What's wrong, Hinata-sama?" Neji narrowed his eyes, his anger rising quickly. Someone had made Hinata cry, and he wasn't about to let that slip.

"Wh-what are y-you talking about Neji," Hinata tried to counter his accusatory tone, "I-I'm fine."

"Hinata-sama, your hands are trembling, your eyes are pink, and," he said in a softer tone, "You're stuttering again."

"I-I'm sorry –" The instantly mortified expression on her face made him want to hit himself. Pointing out all the ways her emotions were leaking out was not the best way to approach this. Neji took a deep breath and cupped her hands in his own, trying to soothe the shudder that wracked her body.

"Don't be, Hinata-sama," he whispered gently. "I just want to know what's wrong."

"I – I," Hinata bit her lip. She knew what would happen if she told her cousin the truth. No doubt, Neji would immediately go and beat Naruto to a pulp. He had certainly threatened to do so enough times.

"N-neji…can I…can I just be alone, for a bit?" Hinata gazed up at him with desperate eyes. She didn't know what to do if he refused. His jaw tensed and she flinched at the furious look in his eyes, but finally, he sighed and let go of her hands.

"I apologize, Hinata-sama," Neji intoned. His arms hung at his sides, "I've kept you from your rest."

"Neji – " Hinata felt every word go through her, pricking her conscious painfully. He raised a finger to her lips and smiled, letting her know that he was letting her go. She gave him one last glance before disappearing into her room.

She closed the door securely and waited to here the click of the lock slipping into place. Every ninja knew how to pick locks, but the action was below most Hyuugas. Hinata felt relief as her shoulders slumped and she stared listlessly at the ground. It wasn't as if she hadn't felt anything. Naruto had always been distracted around her – somehow, the time she had with him had always felt strained, now that she thought back on it.

Slowly, she lowered herself onto the floor, her arms hugging her bent legs, trying to hold whatever was left of herself together.

* * *

Neji stood outside her door, keeping his breaths shallow and unnoticeable. Hinata wouldn't tell him what was going on – that much he knew. She was supposed to be on a date with Naruto, that he knew as well. He heard her sob quietly behind the closed door. It took every ounce of his willpower to keep from crossing the wall between him and Hinata, but he knew that she needed her time alone. With his eyes closed, he could see her exact position in her room. She would be sitting in the fetal position, her arms wrapped around her knees with her eyes half open.

He opened his eyes again, noticing that she had become silent. After a few minutes, he sighed and walked away from her room. It wouldn't do to have people notice him standing outside her room for too long. First, he had to find that blond idiot and beat him up. Yeah, that would be a nice relaxer.

* * *

**Author's Note:** uh…sorry for the lack of SasuHina. I've never written NaruSaku either, and I'm not to fond of it either. Hmmm. It should only be a week or two until the next chapter – I won't make you wait that long anymore!

Anyways, please read and review~

-moonhaku


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